Apparatus for treating butter.



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APRATUS FOR TBETG BUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED I9, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT f FFICE.

CLARENCE M. NULF AND GEORG-E M. JACKSON, OF FRANKTON, INDANA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING BUTTER.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLARENCE M. NULF and GEORGE M. JACKSON, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Frankton, in the county of Madisonand State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement inApparatus for Treating Butter, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to apparatus by which butter may be commingledwith milk or cream to produce what is known as merged butter. Intreating butter in this manner it is essential to break or cut up asmany of the fat globules of the butter as possible so that the particleswill readily absorb or take up the liquid. At the same time it isdesirable to hold down the butter in proximity to the breaking orcutting device so that all parts thereof may be effectively acted uponby that device.

The object of this invention is to provide a device which shall operateto produce the desired product in a highly efficient and economicalmanner, and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement ofcutting and depressing` blades revolubly supported in a suitableretaining vessel by which the butter fat globules are effectively brokenor cut up, the butter being constantly depressed in the vessel.

In the drawing we illustrate one manner of carrying out our invention inpractice, in which- Figure l is a sectional elevation of the assembleddevice and Fig. 2, a sectional plan view of the revoluble operatingmechanism on the line 0.-7).

Referring to the drawings l indicates a suitable vessel having aremovable top or cover 2, which top has the usual inner depending flange3 which is adapted to engage the inner periphery of the vessel. In thecenter of the bottom l is fixed a suitable bearing for the lowerextremity of shaft 4. The drawing illustrates the lower end of shaft Aas seated in a corresponding recess formed in the upper face of bearing5, Any suitable bearing will suffice for our purpose, the intent beingto furnish a means in the vessel bottom by which transverse movement ofshaft 4 will be obviated. rllhe upper extremity of shaft 4 extendsthrough a suitable opening in top 2 and is adapted to carry a pinion l1.Adjacent to the lower end of shaft l is Xed one or more preferably thinradiating breaking or cutting Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19, 1909.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

Serial No. 484,527.

blades 7. In Fig. 2 the blades are shown, four in number, radiating froman annular ring or collar 8, which is fixed to the shaft. These bladesshould be fixed to the shaft so that they will be quite close to thebottom of vessel l. Each blade 7 is sharpened along at least one edge;or -both side edges of each blade may be sharpened in order to providecutting edges for the blades so that the butter fat globules will be cutup into very fine particles, as the blades are revolved in vessel l.

It is essential to provide means within the vessel to keep the butterdown in the lower portion of the vessel in order that blades 7 shalleffectively operate on the same, and to accomplish this we mount onshaft It, a snitable distance above blades 7, another blade or set ofblades 9, which radiate from an annular ring or collar 10. These bladeshave one or both sides curved upwardly, or each blade may be slightlytwisted or inclined upwardly so that at least one side edge thereof isslightly elevated above the opposite edge. This slight curvatureorinclination of blades 9 is provided so that those blades shall ride onthe top of the butv ter and tend to press the same downwardly towardblades 7. `We prefer to arrange blades 9 in staggered relation withrespect to blades 7, as shown in the drawings, as in that position theyare very eifectivein forcing the butter downwardly in vessel l. Blades 9may be permanently fixed on shaft et at the desired point thereon, or,if desired, may be adjustable on shaft A by providing a thumb screw 1Gin ring or collar 10 which is adapted to impinge on shaft A and hold theblades tight on said shaft at any desired position.

@n top 2 we provide a pivot 13 over which is engaged a suitable femalegear l2 which gear meshes with pinion ll and is provided with crank lll,by all of which shaft fl and the two sets of blades are revolved withinvessel i. Any suitable means for revolving shaft et will suiiice for ourpurpose, hence we do not wish to be limited to the particular drivingmeans shown. rlhe cover 2 may be locked to vessel l in any suitablemanner as by one or more catches 15, which catch is a hook fixed tovessel l and is adapted to engage a notch in cover 2.

In operation, predetermined amounts of butter and milk or cream areplaced in vessel 1, the elevation of blades 9 being such as to bearagainst the surface of the butter. Shaft 4, with its blades 7 and 9, maybe inserted either before or after the materials are added. lVhen thematerials and shaft are in the vessel the cover is put on and pinion 11and gear l2 are placed on their'respective supports, and the rotation ofthe shaft is all that remains to be done to commingle and merge thebutter and liquid into a solid mass. The resultant product haspractically all the characteristics of the original butter and isincreased in volume according to the quantity of the two materials used.For example, if one pound of butter and a pint of fresh milk or creamare placed in the vessel, the product will weigh practically two pounds,the liquid being entirely absorbed by the butter.

It is apparent that any number of cutting blades may be provided onshaft 4, their only function being to cut or break up t-he fat globulesof the butter, the upper blades serving at all times to depress and keepthe butter down so that it will be effectively acted upon by the lowercutting blades. It is also apparent that since the rotating parts areall removable from the vessel the device is very easily and thoroughlycleaned throughout, thus rendering it exceedingly sanitary in all itsparts.

What we claim is:

l. A device of the class described comprising a vessel, a cutting bladeand a depressing blade revolubly supported therein, and means supportedon the vessel for imparting motion to both blades.

2. A device of the class described comprising a vessel, a thin bladehaving a sharp cutting edge within the vessel, a depressing blade abovethe cutting blade, and means supported by the vessel for imparting arevoluble motion to both blades.

3. A device of the class described comprising a vessel, a shaftrevolubly and vertically supported therein, a thin blade having a sharpcutting edge mounted on the shaft, a depressing blade supported on theshaft above the cutting blade, and means supported by the vessel andconnected to the shaft for imparting a revoluble motion to the shaft andblades.

4. A device of the class described comprising a vessel, a revolubleshaft vertically supported therein, a cutting blade radially mounted onsaid shaft, a depressing blade radially supported on said shaft andhaving its lower vface curved upwardly, and means supported on thevessel and connected to the shaft whereby a revoluble motion is impartedto the shaft and blades.

5. A device of the class described comprising a vessel, a shaftvertically disposed therein and removable therefrom, a plurality of4cutting blades mounted adjacent to the lower extremity of the shaft andradiating therefrom, a plurality of depressing blades supported on theshaft at a point above the cutting blades and radiating from said shaft,said blades having their under surfaces slightly curved upwardly, apinion on the upper extremity of the shaft, and means operativelyconnected to said pinion and supported on the vessel whereby said shaftand its blades are rotated within the vessel.

6. A device of the class described comprising a vessel, a shaftvertically andV revolubly supported therein, a plurality of cuttingblades fixed to and radiating from the shaft, a plurality of depressingblades supported on the shaft and radiating therefrom in staggeredrelation with respect to the cutting blades, and means supported on thevessel by which the shaft may be revolved.

7. A device of the class described comprising a vessel, a shaftrevolubly and vertically supported therein, a plurality of cuttingblades xed to and radiating from the shaft, a plurality of depressingblades supported on the shaft above the cutting blades, said bladesradiating from the shaft in staggered relation respecting the cuttingblades, and means supported on the vesesl for imparting a rotary motionto the shaft. Y

8. A device of the class described comprising` a vessel, a shaftrevolubly supported within the vessel, a plurality of cutting bladesfixed to the shaft and radiating therefrom, a plurality of depressingblades adjustably supported on the shaft above the cutting blades andradiating from said shaft in staggered relation to the cutting bladesand means supported on the vessel and connected to the shaft forrotating the same.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe our names in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CLARENCE M. NULF. GEORGE M. JACKSON. lVitnesses WILLIAM R. LAYNE, CYRUsC. MAYR.

